How do I recover my data?

Could someone lend me a hand?
I’ve been using a work computer running Windows XP that holds all our essential accounting software, but lately, things have taken a turn for the worse. Every single time I boot it up, just a few seconds after starting, I get hit with a blue screen of death, leaving me stuck in a loop where my only option is to restart, only to have the whole thing happen all over again.

I actually tried performing a clean installation of Windows XP onto a different partition, but unfortunately, I ran into the exact same issue.
Does anyone have any advice on how I might be able to rescue all this important company data? I’m really hoping to migrate everything over to Windows 7, though I can't help but wonder if I'll be able to keep all my programs and files working exactly as they did before.

Just a heads-up, this is more of a tutorial—you probably should have posted your question over in the IT Help section. If I were in your shoes, I'd just boot from a Linux Mint live USB and use that to move all your important files onto an external hard drive. As for installing Windows 7, you didn't actually mention your computer's specs...

I mean, running Windows 7 shouldn't be an issue since I've got 1GB of RAM, right? But honestly, my real headache is this constant blue screen of death. I'm just sitting here wondering how on earth I'll manage to save all my accounting software—it cost me several thousand dollars to get everything set up. If I lose all that data, won't I just have to start the whole expensive process over from scratch?

Terry Perez8 said:Windows 7 should be fine; having 1GB of RAM shouldn't be an issue. My real concern is this blue screen. I'm worried about losing my accounting software, which cost me several thousand dollars. If those files are gone, I'll have to start all over again from scratch.

Where are the installation files for those programs located?
I suggest you check with the vendor you purchased them from to see where the databases are stored and if they are compatible with Windows 7—specifically, whether they will actually run on that system.

Installing a new operating system wipes everything, so you'll need to reinstall all your software anyway.

So, here’s how things stand. I just can't seem to get into Safe Mode no matter what I try. Is there any way for me to access all my files, move them over to an external hard drive, and then go ahead with a fresh installation of Windows 7?

Yeah, you can grab the files using any live DVD (or even a USB), like Hiren's boot.
But wait, didn't you mention you have that accounting software running on there? Is it an older version or something recent?
Older accounting setups are usually just a bunch of files and a database that run through something like the command prompt. Technically, you could migrate that too. But honestly, your best bet is to check with the software vendor first before you try anything.

I don't have the original installation discs anymore. I actually reached out to a technician who told me exactly which folders need to be copied over; he mentioned he could just swing by, reinstall everything, and manually move those directories back so everything works exactly like it did before, though he'd charge a small fee for the visit.
It shouldn't be too much trouble for me to handle myself. The thing is, right now I’m working with an original Windows 7 setup on a USB drive—I managed to get the files via a digital transfer—but whenever I try to boot from the USB, my computer screen just displays a "disk error occurred, press ctrl+alt+del to restart" message.

Yet, when I plug that exact same USB into my laptop, it boots up perfectly without any issues at all. 😢

1. Your data isn't actually gone—you just need to run a repair on your current Windows installation; a fresh install is honestly a waste of time here. Have you even tried booting into Safe Mode yet?
2. If you end up being forced to reinstall Windows, don't DIY it—just call the company whose software you're running and have them handle the reinstallation for you.
3. Where exactly is the backup for those critical accounting programs?

Benjamin King2, I can't even get into Safe Mode...

Terry Perez8 said:I don't have any of the software CDs. I actually called a technician who told me which specific folders need to be copied; he said he could just come over, reinstall everything, and move those folders back so it would work exactly like before for a small fee.
I can handle that part easily. My current issue is that I have an original Windows 7 installation on a USB drive (I sent the files via fax to get it), but when I make the USB bootable, my computer screen shows a "disk error occurred, press ctrl+alt+del to restart" message.

However, when I plug that exact same USB into my laptop, it boots up perfectly fine.😢

Does the target drive where you want to install Windows 7 even show up in your BIOS?

If the laptop recognizes the bootable USB without any issues, then the problem lies with the desktop. It’s likely either a faulty USB port, the BIOS isn't configured to boot from USB, or the hard drive has failed.

Have you already backed up the data from the drive that you'll need for your accounting software?

Hi there,

I’m dealing with a machine where Windows XP Professional has completely given up on me; it won't even allow me to boot into Safe Mode or access any recovery options. I tried a clean reinstall using an original disc, but once the installation boots, it just hangs indefinitely on the "Windows XP setup starting" screen without moving an inch.
My second attempt involved using an original Windows 7 Professional DVD, but I ran into this issue shown here: http://i62.tinypic.com/29bjbm8.jpg , and after that, everything just stalls out again.
Then I tried a third time with an original Windows 8.1 DVD, but after booting, the logo stays stuck on the screen before throwing error 0x0000005C.

In all my years of working with hardware, have I ever encountered anything quite like this? It's truly a first for me.🤷

Thanks in advance for any help.

The RAM is dead.

Grab Mem-test.
http://www.memtest86.com/download.htm

Burn it to a disc, boot from that CD, and run the memory test.

I didn't manage to grab those specific details, and honestly, there isn't much of a way to track them down right now. I think I'll just run a Mem-test and see if that gives me any more clarity, don't you?

How could there be any other way to look at this? I’d just pull the hard drive out of that machine, hook it up to another computer, and move those databases over safely. Once that's done, you can actually figure out what's causing that blue screen on the original PC, fix the underlying issue, and then go ahead and perform a clean install of Windows 7. After you get all the programs back up and running, you just migrate the databases back over, and honestly, the whole problem is solved.

Terry Perez8 said:I haven't copied the data yet. There’s no way to pull those files right now. I'm going to try running a memory test first.

As shadowlynx102 suggested, you should pull the drive from this computer, plug it into another one, and back up your files. Please don't attempt any installations until everything is backed up; I have a feeling you might accidentally wipe your data if you aren't careful.

I was thinking that there isn't really any way to run a theory test on this specific computer right now

When I ran a quick check on the memory and ended up frying it, this is what popped up on my screen. http://i57.tinypic.com/2dlq4xk.jpg

Or maybe you could just sit tight and wait for the test to actually finish??

How much time should I set aside for this?

Wait until it actually finishes...
The screenshot you posted was taken right when it started booting Mem-test.
It needs to run through the entire memory test; once the screen displays "FINISH," then we have something to look at.
If any red text shows up, your RAM is toast.

Well, here we go again. I just booted up the system, and for some reason, the clock in the Time section isn't showing any seconds or minutes at all.